Sign of coming Apocalypse? Mustangs suffer season's first loss

BAKERSFIELD - The Delta College softball team cleaned its dugout in silence Friday.

Mark Godi

BAKERSFIELD - The Delta College softball team cleaned its dugout in silence Friday.

The Mustangs gathered their equipment and left the softball field at the Gay Sports Complex after losing 5-1 to Cypress in the first round of the California Community College Athletic Association State Championships. The loss was Delta's first this season and came against the defending state champions.

Delta coach Jim Fisher briefed his players and then watched Mt. San Antonio College top College of the Siskiyous 10-9. The Mustangs (42-1) play Siskiyous at 3 p.m. today in an elimination game. Delta must win twice today to reach the championship round Sunday.

"The girls are shocked right now," Fisher said. "This is the first time they've been handled by anyone. Usually a game like this happens at the beginning of the year, but we had it happen at the end."

Delta's Katie Cotta (30-1) pitched a complete game but had trouble throwing strikes. Cotta worked behind in the count on several batters and allowed five earned runs on four hits, with six walks and three hit batters. She entered with a 0.49 ERA.

"Our strategy for 20 years has been to be patient at the plate," Cypress coach Brad Pickler said. "You have to make a pitcher throw strikes."

The Chargers (40-8) led 3-0 in the third on a three-run home run by Marilyn Toriz. Cotta walked the lead-off batter and hit the second batter before Toriz blasted a ball out to center field.

"That was huge because we were working for just one run and got three," Pickler said.

Delta answered in the bottom of the inning when Genevieve Reyna led off with a walk. She went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Desiree Walsh and to third on a drag bunt single by Rachel Borges. Katie Etcheverry popped up foul to first base, and Reyna tagged up and scored.

Cypress' Monique Hernandez (16-5) went the distance with a walk and two strikeouts.

"We will learn a lot about our team now," Fisher said. "The hardest thing to do is lose and come back. I'm glad we at least have a night to sleep on this."

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